Archers thread #162: ‘This is like talking to Lassie’ – how right you are, Fallon! Discuss The Archers here.

[Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g]

Thank you, @PseudoBadger, for kicking off this long, long series of Archers threads.

All views on The Archers welcome here! New blood welcomed, and of course we are always delighted to welcome back former or occasional listeners/posters. We don't all agree on all points, although we do mostly try to be civil about it. Most of us are posting tongue in cheek a lot of the time, so don't worry about revealing that you think cowhide-covered walls are a great idea for a cafe with vegan and vegetarian customers, or other unusual views.

Spoilers: not on this thread, please! We don't wait for the omnibus to discuss the weeknight episodes, but we do try our best to avoid cross-contamination from www.mumsnet.com/talk/radio_addicts/4636789-the-archers-spoilers-thread-7-cant-wait-for-702pm-join-us-here, where spoilers are positively welcomed!

For newer listeners, lurkers or those who just have no idea what we're talking about, @DadDadDad has created this useful thread: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/radio_addicts/3557323-For-Archers-fans-a-guide-to-acronyms-on-the-long-running-discussion-threads-and-any-other-meta-thread-questions-you-may-have - BOOP point for him! (See thread for explanation.)

Title comes from one of the better scripted conversations of recent weeks, when Fallon said ”Harrison, this is like talking to Lassie! Just TELL ME”. So true of so many conversations on TA where you just want to shake them and yell 'Just TELL US, and quickly, so you don't get interrupted before you can say the important bit', but of course they rarely do and days pass before the conversation resumes. @TheBell suggested putting it in the title, so thanks for that.

@OverArmour had a great if more obscure idea, paying tribute to a Peter Greenaway film: The Policeman, The Drunk, The Vet and his Lover. That will do very well as a starting point for the new thread. Will Alistair leave? Will Denise tell John she's leaving him? Will Paul learn to be less noisy? Do any of us care?

I do care a little about Harrison and Fallon. I want Harrison to get a grip and realise he needs a paying job more than the captaincy of the cricket team. I don't care at all about Harry but I think he's been brought in purely as a plot device so with any luck we can all forget about him very soon.

Over to you!

Mrs Snell is Lynda. Mrs Lynda Snell OBE. It will take me a while to get used to New Robert.

She also suggested that, when he returned after going out as instructed by her, she might have her old Robert back!! That seemed a bit of an odd line, given the circs.

He saw sandmartins! That's exciting, I haven't seen any returning migrants yet, why was he so dismissive?

I felt that Robert was written as being uncharacteristically grumpy, which made it difficult to judge the actor's performance as "Robert"; he wasn't Robert as we might have expected him to be, which made it difficult for the actor not to sound all wrong as well.

I wondered whether that was deliberate, so that when we heard him again after calming down he would sound “normal”.

Very odd having a calm Lynda soothing a het-up Robert. Usually the other way around

There was that time he took petty revenge on a couple who had wickedly allowed their children, who were camping in the garden and not paying for the privilege, to use the bathroom. That was totally out of character and nasty. Maybe B&B guests bring out the worst in him.

We’ve just got through the dreary SL about who was the longest-standing regular at the Bull. Please don’t tell me we are going to have a few weeks of speculation on the age of Bartlemas!

Robert sounded all wrong but I know it’s certainly not fair to judge the new actor after his debut episode. I’m sure he’ll settle in nicely.

My heart sank too, @Roysnewshirt.

I liked the new Robert and didn't mind the difference. . I think possibly his irritation at the B&B guest just gave SWs the excuse to get him out of the house and interacting with another Archers' character.

Yes, I didn't dislike him: just the writing in part!

Agree re Bartleby, why the repetitive storyline?

Me too!

I'm missing Kirsty.

And I'd like to hear from Rex.

I dont minď the new Robert its nice for lyndy.
Marg on toast uck! You'd think Brian would have butter!( Sorry im a butter on toast only Snob.)

Marg on toast uck! You'd think Brian would have butter!( Sorry im a butter on toast only Snob.)

Yes, I agree but I wondered if he had had to move to marg due to his heart condition. It must be that as Home Farm would almost certainly have been a butter-only household.

It did sound odd - but I agree he’d have had a nutritionist force him to buy low fat Flora or whatever. (I wouldn’t know, I’m an EVOO for everything person. Only use butter for baking where oil doesn’t work. No tubs at all in my household.)

(Lighthearted in case of doubt …)

What does Kate spread on her toast?

Kate would have vegan butter to go with her tofu scramble 🤢

I'm hoping that the SWs have decided that George is going to take over the Grundy mantle of feckless follower of get-rich-quick schemes, allowing Will, Ed and Emma actually to do something solid that works for once.

Why would Jenny even know about what Justin was doing, let alone have anything to say about it?

It’s like Jolene and the Wolverhampton incident - a rewriting of of history in the interests of plot which just leaves those of us who like to believe Ambridge is a real place rolling our eyes in disbelief and thinking about throwing in the towel.

Why would Jenny even know about what Justin was doing, let alone have anything to say about it?

Imagined scenario, @Flamme - referencing the wholly imaginary cosy dinners at Home Farm. Justin advising Emma might have been the sort of village titbit Miranda would have shared with Jenny.

What revenge did he take?

I dont minď the new Robert its nice for lyndy. You do know that Robert has been there all the time for Lyndy?

I think the new actor will be ok. It was tetchy Robert that was a bit of a shock.

You'd think Brian would have butter! He’s just lost his wife to a heart condition. He’s watching his cholesterol.

I think he charged them for the children on the bill, or something. They'd got the towels provided for the guests mussy or something and he billed their parents for it. Or some such. But he snuck about the place being loudly peevish and Vowing Vengeance in a most un-Robert-like manner first.

MereDintofPandiculation
"You'd think Brian would have butter!" He’s just lost his wife to a heart condition. He’s watching his cholesterol.

Which is completely futile because eating butter has never been shown to cause heart problems, whereas marge of various sorts has been. One is processed, the other is well above ultra-high-processed on the bad-for-you scale.

Butter for me. Like my dear old grandmother said, you know what it is.

The really awful moment comes when you find out what marge is and what has had to be done to it to make it edible at all. Quite puts you off eating the stuff.

I'd assume it was Kate's vegan stuff.